Support Fred Hahn - It is right to oppose genocide

Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario, and General Vice President on CUPE National’s Executive Board, is once again under attack for denouncing the genocide in Gaza, and standing with the Palestinian people against the violent apartheid state of Israel.

 

At a recent CUPE National Executive Board meeting, Fred was asked for his resignation by some members of the Board. This was after posting a video showing an Israeli athlete diving into images of bombs dropping in Gaza. It questioned why Israel was allowed to send athletes to the Olympics, while Russia was not. Fred refused to resign – and he had good reason.

 

At the last CUPE National Convention in October 2023, Fred was once again elected as a General Vice-President (Ontario) by the Ontario attendees. But that was not the only decision made by convention. Delegates, duly elected from their locals, voted to:

 

“Demand that the Canadian government call for an immediate ceasefire in Israel/Palestine, an end of its sale of arms to Israel, an end to diplomatic immunity for the state of Israel, and an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the restoration of aid and the basic necessities of life”.

 

In a separate motion, “Conduct member education about the history of Israel’s occupation and colonization of Palestine, Canada’s complicity, and what trade unions can do to support a just peace”.

 

These motions are binding on CUPE National’s Executive.

 

Fred was once again elected as President of CUPE Ontario, at its annual convention this last May. Pre-dating Fred’s original election in 2010, was the “Boycott, Divest, Sanctions” (BDS) position taken by CUPE Ontario in 2006, and upheld every year since then with new resolutions by members re-affirming CUPE Ontario’s opposition to Israeli apartheid and support for the Palestinian people.

 

At this same convention, led by a strong delegation of CUPE members who were part of a joint Labour4Palestine/Independent Jewish Voices grouping, delegates supported a motion reading, in part: “ CUPE Ontario will commit to work alongside with and continue strengthening our working relationship with Palestinian Youth Movement, Labour for Palestine, and Independent Jewish Voices to call for the immediate ceasefire, the end of Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the end of Canadian arms trade to Israel”.

 

Fred Hahn, as our President, is obligated to support the decisions of our members, and has consistently done so. As a result, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) has issued a strong statement in support of Fred, re-iterating that Fred and CUPE have been under attack since last October by zionist organizations such as CIJA (The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs), which is currently calling for Fred’s resignation.

 

CIJA speaks of “racism, hostility and discrimination” against Jewish members. Yet the adopted motions as above were crafted and supported by Jewish members, in concert with IJV (including this writer again).

 

Why is CUPE National’s Executive Board calling for Fred’s resignation, in the face of massive support from members. What are they afraid of? It’s called ‘the power of a good example’.

 

Fred, as a progressive voice in CUPE, has long supported anti-racist, anti- homophobic and anti-oppression campaigns inside CUPE and beyond. In CUPE Ontario, it meant supporting crucial initiatives such as the Anti-Racism Organizational Action Plan (AROAP), to make sure workers of colour are represented at every level of CUPE Ontario. Special positions on CUPE Ontario’s provincial executive are reserved for workers of colour, Indigenous workers, women, 2SLGBTQ+ members, workers with disabilities and young workers. Far from being invisible, these members have demanded to represent CUPE Ontario at every level – an ongoing struggle, which has with Fred’s support.

 

Fred has also ‘put his money where is mouth is’, joining demonstrations and picket lines, and actively opposing bigots from the far-right. This was never more evident than last Fall, when CUPE Ontario actively supported ‘Drag Queen Story Time’ events all over the province when they were under attack. Fred was prominent in this, and subsequently received a torrent of abuse from the far-right. While anti-semitism was clearly on display with the participation of neo-nazis in those hate attacks, the zionists saw no need to defend either Fred, or their Jewish members. Shortly after October 7, when Fred first stood in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, they simply piled on with the far-right.

 

The claims, emanating from outside CUPE, that Fred is “anti-semitic”, therefore a racist is disgusting. When a selection of members of CUPE National’s Executive Board called for his resignation, they opened the door to the hard right, not only in the zionist movement, but also Ontario’s viciously anti-worker Ford government, who have also jumped in again to attack Fred.

 

Socialists will always have our criticism of union leaders particularly on the right, but also sometimes on the left – as workers can only win our battles when organized from below, at the rank and file level. But the removal of Fred Hahn from his position on our National Executive Board would weaken that fight, and weaken the fight against racism and all forms of oppression. It would be an open the door that anti-gay bigots, white supremacists, and neo-nazis will attempt to walk through. Let’s make sure it doesn’t happen.